Superbowl Sunday

we don't normally watch the superbowl as we are not huge football fans, but some friends had invited us over to make a party out of it. We had a blast, watching as much of the games as we could with crazy children underfoot and cheering for whoever since we had no real investment in the game. We gorged on junk food (most notably ruffles chips with french onion dip--I shamefully admit to devouring a good portion of the bag by myself) and feasted on tasty buffalo burgers.

I have to admit that I'm the kind of person that gets just as much out of the commercials and halftime show as the game itself. Some of the commercials were dumb but many were downright hilarious or creative (especially loved the Doritos). but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the halftime show. First I was surprised that such notable musicians would do cover songs but maybe that's normal (I didn't watch enough to see if there was a theme). Second, I though the costuming was awkward and strange. The sea of back up dancers was creative but a little strange as well. I suppose overall it was entertaining but definitely didn't stand up to all the hype.

The worst part of the entertainment however was easily the national anthem. This is a beautiful song that makes me swell with pride and marvel at everything it represents. And Christina did a horrendous job. I am complete stupor at how a person could forget the words! I'm sure they rehearsed and furthermore, this is a song that every American should have ingrained in their heart. Beyond making up her own lyrics, the vocals themselves were atrocious. I have always hated the Mariah Carey/cat strangling "style" of wandering up and down the scale in search of the proper note. I think vocal beauty is found in the clarity and sincerity of note, not in the search of it. I know it's a popular style but I think it sounds awful. Some decoration can be "the frosting on the cake" but only if you have the beauty and clarity to make the melody and the message of the song be beautiful and powerful.

The game itself was fun and exciting and the experience with friends was a blast. We chatted, laughed, cheered, etc and kept an eye on our crazy children who were thrilled with the chance to play together. My little Butterfly especially liked the fireplace hearth and claimed it as her stage. She did a little tap dancing and with arms flailing with dramatic flourish, she belted out her own lyrics as if on a Broadway stage. Usually the lyrics are something akin to "youve got a friend in me" or "a dream is a wish your heart makes". Little Ladybug discovered a little chair just her size and played happily in it. Then she found out it was actually a kid sized recliner and was even more thrilled.